Advanced materials gun and logging bots for deep saturation measurement

ABSTRACT

A well bore logging tool for measuring a pore fluid property of a hydrocarbon reservoir that may include, a tool housing, a vessel containing a tracer, a launcher attached to the vessel that may be configured to inject a tracer into the hydrocarbon reservoir. The well bore logging too may further include a retrieval device configured to extract at least a portion of the tracer from the hydrocarbon reservoir. The well bore logging too may further include a storage canister may be configured to store a portion of the tracer extracted from the hydrocarbon reservoir, and a scanning device may be configured to read a value of at least one fluid saturation property detected by the tracer. The vessel, launcher, retrieval device, storage canister, and scanning device may be enclosed in a tool housing.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 17/029,689, filed on Sep. 23, 2020, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

In the planning, construction, and operation of an oil or gas field, itis frequently important to understand the properties of the fluid withinthe pores of the hydrocarbon reservoir. These properties include,without limitation, the relative proportions of oil, gas, and water, aswell as the presence of contaminant such as sulphur and hydrogensulphide. This information is used when planning the type and size ofsurface processing and storage facilities that are required, the optimalproduction rates to use, and whether secondary production methods, suchas downhole pumps, and enhanced oil recovery methods, such as waterinjection, will be necessary.

Well bore logging tools measure physical properties of the hydrocarbonreservoir, such as density, resistivity, or nuclear magnetic resonance,which may be used to infer properties of the fluid within the pores ofthe hydrocarbon reservoir. However, well bore logging tools typicallyhave depths of investigation which are at most a few feet, and usuallyonly a few inches. By depth of investigation, we mean the radialdistance from the well bore wall that delimits the portion of thehydrocarbon reservoir to which the well logging tools' measurement issensitive.

The portion of the hydrocarbon reservoir close to the well bore isfrequently not representative of the whole of the reservoir. Forexample, the process of drilling the well bore, installing a casing tosupport the well bore walls, and subsequent production of hydrocarbonfluids can all alter the hydrocarbon reservoir in the vicinity of thewell bore. In particular, the fluid within the pores of the hydrocarbonreservoir can be displaced by the fluid used to lubricate and cool thedrill bit, and remove rock fragments, during drilling. Also, thereduction in pressure around the well bore required to produce fluidsfrom the hydrocarbon reservoir, to suck them from the hydrocarbonreservoir, may also cause phase changes in the fluids remaining withinthe pores. These changes may include the condensing of crude oil fromthe gas originally present in the pores.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that arefurther described below in the detailed description. This summary is notintended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subjectmatter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope ofthe claimed subject matter.

In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a well bore loggingtool for measuring a pore fluid property of a hydrocarbon reservoir thatmay include, a tool housing, a vessel containing a tracer, a launcherattached to the vessel that may be configured to inject a tracer intothe hydrocarbon reservoir. The well bore logging too may further includea retrieval device configured to extract at least a portion of thetracer from the hydrocarbon reservoir. The well bore logging too mayfurther include a storage canister may be configured to store a portionof the tracer extracted from the hydrocarbon reservoir, and a scanningdevice may be configured to read a value of at least one fluidsaturation property detected by the tracer. The vessel, launcher,retrieval device, storage canister, and scanning device may be enclosedin a tool housing.

In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a method for making ameasurement of a pore fluid property of a hydrocarbon reservoir. Themethod may include, inserting a logging tool into a well bore traversingthe hydrocarbon reservoir. The logging tool injects a tracer into thehydrocarbon reservoir, and then extracts at least a portion of thetracer from the hydrocarbon reservoir. At least a portion of the tracerextracted from the hydrocarbon reservoir may be stored in a storagecanister, and the value of a fluid saturation property detected by thetracer may be read by a scanning device.

Other aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will beapparent from the following description and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the disclosed technology will now be describedin detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Like elements inthe various figures are denoted by like reference numerals forconsistency.

FIG. 1 —An embodiment of a well bore logging tool deployed in a wellbore.

FIG. 2 —A depiction of the functional components of an embodiment of awell bore logging tool.

FIG. 3A-D—Views each showing a depiction of the functional stepsinvolved in using an embodiment of a well bore logging tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a morethorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparentto one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosure may be practicedwithout these specific details. In other instances, well-known featureshave not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicatingthe description.

Throughout the application, ordinal numbers (e.g., first, second, third,etc.) may be used as an adjective for an element (i.e., any noun in theapplication). The use of ordinal numbers is not to imply or create anyparticular ordering of the elements nor to limit any element to beingonly a single element unless expressly disclosed, such as using theterms “before”, “after”, “single”, and other such terminology. Rather,the use of ordinal numbers is to distinguish between the elements. Byway of an example, a first element is distinct from a second element,and the first element may encompass more than one element and succeed(or precede) the second element in an ordering of elements.

FIG. 1 depicts a well bore logging tool (102), in accordance with oneembodiment, deployed in a well bore (100) to measure a property of thefluid within the pores of a hydrocarbon reservoir (106). In thisembodiment, the well bore logging tool (102) is attached to coiledtubing (108). The coil tubing lowers, or pushes, the well bore loggingtool (102) into the well bore prior to making measurements and raises,or pulls, the well bore logging tool (102) out of the well bore (100)after making measurements. In other embodiments, the well bore loggingtool (102) may be attached to a wireline, or a drill-pipe either as partof the drilling operation or after drilling.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of the well bore logging tool (102). Thecomponents of the well bore logging tool (102) may comprise a toolhousing (202) on which, or in which, the components are mounted. In someembodiments, the upper end of the tool housing may be attach to coiledtubing. In some embodiments, the upper end of the tool housing may beattach to wireline or drill-pipe. The well bore logging tool (102) mayinclude one or more feature locating sensors (204). In one embodiment,the feature locating sensors (204) may comprise a laser source andcamera received sensitive to laser light. In accordance with someembodiments, the feature locating sensors (204) may comprise anultrasonic source and an ultrasonic receiver. In some embodiments, theultrasonic source and ultrasonic receiver may be two separate ultrasonictransducers. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic source and ultrasonicreceiver may be integrated into a single ultrasonic transducer. In someembodiments, the feature detecting sensors electrodes may includeelectromagnetic sources and receivers.

In some embodiments, the well bore feature locating sensors (204) may beconfigured to detect lithology features, such as rock bed boundaries orfractures in the well bore wall, in an open well bore. In someembodiments, the well bore feature locating sensors (204) may beconfigured to detect perforation holes (208) in a well bore lined with acasing (210).

The well bore logging tool (102) may also comprise one or more hydraulicisolation devices (206). Each hydraulic isolation device may extend fromthe tool housing (202) to the casing (210), wholly or partiallyhydraulically isolating the well bore hydraulically. When deployed, thehydraulic isolation device hydraulically isolates one or more segmentsof the fluid-filled well bore (202) such that well bore fluid isprevented from flowing from one side of the hydraulic isolator to theother side. That is, the hydraulic isolator prevents fluid from abovethe hydraulic isolator in the well bore to flow to below the hydraulicisolator in the well bore, and vice versa.

The well bore logging tool (102) may further comprise a vessel forcontaining tracer prior to pumping (212) of the tracer into thefluid-filled well bore (218) and from the fluid-filled well bore intothe hydrocarbon reservoir (214). The vessel for containing tracer priorto pumping (212) may be attached to a launcher (216). The launcher (216)may controllably release the tracer into the fluid-filled well bore(218) through one or more injection and retrieval nozzles (220). In oneembodiment, the injection and retrieval nozzles (220) may pump tracerinto the fluid-filled well bore directly. In accordance with otherembodiments, the injection and retrieval nozzles (220) may be pressedagainst the well bore wall and facilitate pumping the tracer directlyinto the hydrocarbon reservoir (214).

The well bore logging tool (102) may further comprise a retrieval device(222) that sucks a portion of the tracer from the hydrocarbon reservoirand stores a portion of the tracer in a storage canister (224) forstoring the retrieved tracer. In some embodiments, the retrieval devicemay suck a portion of the tracer directly from the well bore walls. Insome embodiments, the retrieval device may suck the tracer from thefluid-filled well bore (218).

In some embodiments, the retrieval device may suck the tracer inwardthrough the same nozzle that the launcher (206) uses to pump the tracerout into the fluid-filled well bore (218) and into the hydrocarbonreservoir (214). In some embodiments, the launcher (206) may be attachedto one injection nozzle (220), and the retrieval device (224) may beattached to a different retrieval nozzle (220) used exclusively to suckthe tracer out from the well bore and into the well bore logging tool(102) for storage and analysis.

The well bore logging tool (102) may further comprise a scanning device(226) that may analyze a portion of the tracer while the well borelogging tool (102) is deployed downhole. In some embodiments, the resultof analysis may be stored in a digital form in a computer readablemedium in the well bore logging tool (102). In some embodiments, theresults of analysis may be transmitted to the surface end of the wellbore using wireline telemetry, or through pressure-pulse telemetry, orthrough other means of telemetry familiar to one of ordinary skill inthe art.

In some embodiments, the well bore logging tool (102) stores a portionof the tracer in the storage canister but does not analyze the traceruntil the well bore logging tool (102) has return to the surface. At thesurface, the tracer may be retrieved from the well bore logging tool(102) and analyzed in a laboratory, either near the well bore's surfacelocation and or transported to a remote location for analysis.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D may describe a method of using the well borelogging tool (302). Many variations on the pattern of use shown in FIGS.3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D could be imagined by one of ordinary skill in theart. Thus, the sequence of steps described below are merely illustrativeof one method of usage.

FIG. 3A shows the lowering of the well bore logging tool (302) into thewell bore (300) to the approximate depth of the feature of interest(308). In the situation shown, the feature of interest (308) is a groupof perforation in a casing. However, in other situations the feature ofinterest (308) may be, without limitation a geological layer ofinterest, a naturally occurring fracture, or a hydraulic fracture.

The feature locating sensor (304) may then be used to detect the featureof interest (308) and to measure the depth of the feature of interest(308). The depth of the feature of interest (308) may then becommunicated to the surface and the position of the well bore loggingtool (302) may be adjusted accordingly to bring the depth of the wellbore logging tool (302) into the desired relationship with the depth ofthe feature of interest (308).

FIG. 3B shows the well bore logging tool (102) when well bore loggingtool (102) has been positioned at the desired depth. After the well borelogging tool (302) has been positioned at the desired depth, thehydraulic isolation devices (306A, 306B) may be deployed to block thewell bore (300) and create a hydraulically isolated segment (310) of thewell bore. In some embodiments, the well bore logging tool may have aplurality of hydraulic isolation devices located at different positionsalong its length to create a plurality of hydraulically isolatedsegments (310) of the well bore (310). In other embodiments, only asingle hydraulically isolated segment (310) may be created.

FIG. 3C shows a plurality of tracers being injected into thehydraulically isolated segments (310) of the well bore and from thereinto the hydrocarbon reservoir (314) surrounding the well bore (300). Insome embodiments, only a single tracer may be injected into thehydraulically isolated segments (310) of the well bore and from thereinto the hydrocarbon reservoir (314). In some embodiments, a differenttype of tracer may be injected into each different hydraulicallyisolated segment (310) of the well bore.

FIG. 3D shows a later time, after the time depicted in FIG. 3C, when atleast some portion of the tracer (332A, 332B, 332C) may be sucked backinto the well bore (300) and into the well bore logging tool (302) bythe retrieval device (222). In accordance with some embodiments, aportion of the tracer (332A, 332B, 332C) may be stored in a storagecanister (224) within the well bore logging tool (302) for lateranalysis when the well bore logging tool (302) is lifted to the surface.In some embodiments, a portion of the tracer (332A, 332B, 332C) may beanalyzed by a scanning device (226), which may read a characteristic ofthe tracer, and may store the information in computer storage. In someembodiments, a portion of the tracer (332A, 332B, 332C) may be analyzedby a scanning device (226), which may read a characteristic of thetracer (332A, 332B, 332C), and may transmit the information to thesurface via a telemetry system. In some embodiments, a portion of thetracer (332A, 332B, 332C) may be stored in the storage canister (224),and the characteristics of a portion of the tracer (332A, 332B, 332C)may be analyzed by a scanning device (226), and the information of readby the scanning device (226) may be both stored in computer memory andtransmitted to the surface through a telemetry system.

At the conclusion of the deployment of the well bore logging tool (302),the hydraulic isolation devices (306A, 306B) may be retracted and thewell bore logging tool (302) lifted to the surface.

In some embodiments, the tracer (332A, 332B, 332C) described in FIG. 2 ,FIG. 3 , and the preceding paragraphs may be reactive chemicalssensitive to a property of the pore fluid. In some embodiments, thetracer described in FIG. 2 , FIG. 3 , and the preceding paragraphs maybe nano-scale sized sensors sensitive to a property of the pore fluid.The nano-scale sized sensors may be a nano-scale sized electromechanicaldevice. These tracers may, without limitation, be sensitive to porevolume, pore fluid saturation composition, pore fluid saturationacidity, pore fluid phase (i.e., gas or liquid), pore fluid acidity,pore fluid electrical resistance, pore fluid density, and pore fluidchemical composition.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used havethe same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in theart to which these systems, apparatuses, methods, processes andcompositions belong.

It is noted that one or more of the following claims utilize the term“where” or “in which” as a transitional phrase. For the purposes ofdefining the present technology, it is noted that this term isintroduced in the claims as an open-ended transitional phrase that isused to introduce a recitation of a series of characteristics of thestructure and should be interpreted in like manner as the more commonlyused open-ended preamble term “comprising.” For the purposes of definingthe present technology, the transitional phrase “consisting of” may beintroduced in the claims as a closed preamble term limiting the scope ofthe claims to the recited components or steps and any naturallyoccurring impurities. For the purposes of defining the presenttechnology, the transitional phrase “consisting essentially of” may beintroduced in the claims to limit the scope of one or more claims to therecited elements, components, materials, or method steps as well as anynon-recited elements, components, materials, or method steps that do notmaterially affect the novel characteristics of the claimed subjectmatter. The transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” may be interpreted to be subsets of the open-endedtransitional phrases, such as “comprising” and “including,” such thatany use of an open ended phrase to introduce a recitation of a series ofelements, components, materials, or steps should be interpreted to alsodisclose recitation of the series of elements, components, materials, orsteps using the closed terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentiallyof.” For example, the recitation of a composition “comprising”components A, B, and C should be interpreted as also disclosing acomposition “consisting of” components A, B, and C as well as acomposition “consisting essentially of” components A, B, and C. Anyquantitative value expressed in the present application may beconsidered to include open-ended embodiments consistent with thetransitional phrases “comprising” or “including” as well as closed orpartially closed embodiments consistent with the transitional phrases“consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.”

As used in the Specification and appended Claims, the singular forms“a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the contextclearly indicates the contrary. The verb “comprises” and its conjugatedforms should be interpreted as referring to elements, components orsteps in a non-exclusive manner. The referenced elements, components orsteps may be present, utilized or combined with other elements,components or steps not expressly referenced.

As used here and in the appended claims, the words “comprise,” “has,”and “include” and all grammatical variations thereof are each intendedto have an open, non-limiting meaning that does not exclude additionalelements or steps.

“Optionally” means that the subsequently described event orcircumstances may or may not occur. The description includes instanceswhere the event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does notoccur.

Ranges may be expressed as from about one particular value to aboutanother particular value, inclusive. When such a range is expressed, itis to be understood that another embodiment is from the one particularvalue to the other particular value, along with all particular valuesand combinations thereof within the range.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited numberof embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of thisdisclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised whichdo not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein.Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by theattached claims.

1.-14. (canceled)
 15. A method for making a measurement of a pore fluidproperty of a hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising: inserting a loggingtool into a well bore traversing the hydrocarbon reservoir; injecting atracer into the hydrocarbon reservoir; extracting at least a portion ofthe tracer from the hydrocarbon reservoir; storing the portion of thetracer extracted from the hydrocarbon reservoir; scanning a value of afluid saturation property detected by the tracer.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising: deploying a retractable hydraulicisolation device to hydraulically isolate a first segment of the wellbore from a first segment of the well bore.
 17. The method of claim 15,further comprising: removing the logging tool from the well bore; andanalyzing the portion of the tracer extracted from the hydrocarbonreservoir to determine a value of a fluid saturation property.
 18. Themethod of claim 15: wherein the tracer comprises a chemical reactive toa pore fluid property of the hydrocarbon reservoir.
 19. The method ofclaim 15: wherein the tracer contains a plurality of nano-scale sizedsensors sensitive to a pore fluid property of the hydrocarbon reservoir.20. The method of claim 18: wherein the property is a phase of the porefluid of a hydrocarbon reservoir.